Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 447 - Three Major Forces

In a tattered shack, Liu Wuxie lay covered in blood while Gu Yu busily prepared a few bottles of medicinal powders. Gu Yu carefully sprinkled the powder on Liu Wuxie's wounds to stop bleeding. Among the injuries, there was a severe wound on Liu Wuxie's back, dangerously close to piercing his heart. It had been a close brush with death.

Liu Wuxie had narrowly survived the encounter before even setting foot on Blood Sea Abyssal Island. He watched quietly as Gu Yu tended to his injuries, and once finished, Gu Yu collapsed from exhaustion.

"Big brother, I’ve managed to stop the bleeding," Gu Yu said with a hint of guilt as he put the bottles away. "Don’t use your true essence for the next few days, or your wounds might reopen."

"Thank you!" Liu Wuxie said gratefully. If not for Gu Yu, he might have been killed by the Jade Blood Yaksha.

"This is my fault. If I hadn't mixed up the formula, you wouldn't have suffered such heavy injuries," Gu Yu blamed himself repeatedly. Because he had made a mistake when mixing the formula, Liu Wuxie had faced grave danger.

"You’ve done well, and anyone would be nervous in that situation," Liu Wuxie reassured Gu Yu. He didn’t hold any blame; after all, Gu Yu had always been under his grandfather's care, and it was understandable for him to make minor mistakes when facing such a life-and-death crisis for the first time.

The shack was shabby, but it was safe, and no one was around, which was perfect for Liu Wuxie to recover from his injuries.

Liu Wuxie sat with his legs crossed and circulated the Desolate Devouring Art, gathering the surrounding spiritual energy to heal his wounds. His wounds were rapidly being healed, and the medicinal powder applied by Gu Yu was very effective and worked better than ordinary pills.

To Gu Yu's amazement, Liu Wuxie’s injuries recovered somewhat after a day. Liu Wuxie stood up and stretched a little before changing into a new set of clothes.

They would have to survive in the Blood Sea Abyssal Island for three days.

"Big Brother Liu, what should we do next?" Gu Yu asked. While he had felt a bit down on the first day after parting from his grandfather, the sadness had gradually faded. With his grandfather no longer overseeing him, his youthful excitement began to show, and he looked forward to the upcoming days with anticipation.

"The Blood Sea Abyssal Island is divided into three regions: the Human Clan, Abyssal Clan, and the Sea Demon Clan. The Human Clan's region is further divided into three forces: the Wild Lion Gate, Wolf Fang Regiment, and the Ding Feng Hall." Liu Wuxie shared his information with Gu Yu. They had to understand the overall situation in the Blood Sea Abyssal Island as they would be acting together.

"This is a tripartite confrontation. The Blood Abyssal Stone's mine is in the southwest, and it's a frequent destination for many. Conflicts are common there, and our goal isn't to mine Blood Abyssal Stones but simply to survive." Liu Wuxie explained that most cultivators came seeking fortune through these stones, only to meet their end.

"Big Brother Liu, my grandfather mentioned many small forces besides the three major forces you mentioned. They're subsidiaries of the three forces, and many lone cultivators join them for survival." Gu Yu shared all the information he knew that his grandfather had told him.

"That's right. It's hard for us to survive in the Blood Sea Abyssal Island with just the two of us. If we get captured, we will likely end up as mining slaves," Liu Wuxie agreed. They were too weak, and even aligning with the three major forces wouldn’t guarantee their safety. Even if they managed to join, they would likely be used as cannon fodder.

It was no wonder why Jiang Gongming left so decisively because the Blood Sea Abyssal Island was a death sentence to Liu Wuxie. Even with cultivation in the Astral River Realm, Jiang Gongming didn't dare to stay on the Blood Sea Abyssal Island for long, proving how terrifying this place was.

Hiding in the shack wasn’t a viable long-term solution. Despite its remote location, it wouldn’t be long before someone discovered them. The Blood Sea Abyssal Island was enormous, but it was also teeming with cultivators.

Robbery and violence were rampant, especially when humans crossed paths with abyssal devils or sea demons. The island operated in a lawless state, governed only by strength and power.

Gu Yu had no strategy of his own and could only follow behind Liu Wuxie. When they came out of the shack, they were still near the port, surrounded by garbage. This used to be a lookout post, but it was abandoned now.

Warships departed one after another, with new arrivals occasionally docking. The Dugu Clan's warship remained anchored, having yet to leave.

"This place isn't safe. Let's move to the Human Clan's region," Liu Wuxie said, surveying their surroundings. The area was close to the sea, where sea demons frequently appeared. They risked being discovered if they lingered there, and the Sea Demon Clan would likely seek revenge for the deaths of their kin.

As they followed the route, they occasionally encountered other humans, but no one showed interest in robbing them, likely due to their low cultivation level.

The port was situated in the eastern part of the island, which was under the Human Clan's control, covering a quarter of the island. The northern region belonged to the Abyssal Clan, home to many abyssal devils who frequently attacked humans. The southern area was a rocky sea region occupied by the Sea Demon Clan, who aimed to control the entire Blood Sea Abyssal Island and expel both humans and abyssal devils.

After walking for roughly an hour, a city-like structure appeared before them. Over the years, humans had built high walls to fend off the attacks of abyssal devils.

The abyssal devils rarely acted during the day and preferred to launch their assault at night. The night was when humans rested, and they were caught off guard by the assaults multiple times, so they built high walls.

When they arrived at the gate, they discovered many people were entering the city, and they were all lined up for inspection. This prevented sea demons from sneaking into the city, and everyone had to pay a fee of spirit stones to enter, supposedly for protection by the three major forces. The spirit stones also went to the three major forces.

It was soon Liu Wuxie and Gu Yu's turn. After some questioning and learning it was Liu Wuxie's first time in the Blood Sea Abyssal Island, the guards looked at them with ill intentions.

"Brat, join our Wild Lion Gate if you want to live," a cultivator stood before Liu Wuxie and invited him into the Wild Lion Gate. After all, one would only die without any background in the city.

"Thanks for your goodwill, but I have no intentions of joining any forces!" Liu Wuxie declined politely. Only the Ding Feng Hall followed some rules among the three forces, while the Wild Lion Gate and Wolf Fang Group were known for being unscrupulous.

The Wild Lion Gate was established by Kuang Shi, a former elder of the Azure Crimson Gate. After fleeing from his sect for defiling another elder’s daughter, he settled on Blood Sea Abyssal Island and gathered a band of outlaws. Over the years, his strength and leadership allowed the Wild Lion Gate to expand rapidly and emerge as one of the most formidable forces on the island.

The leader of Ding Feng Hall was Ding Ye, a rogue who offended a powerful individual and had no choice but to flee to the Blood Sea Abyssal Island.

Despite his rogue status, Ding Ye was not inherently evil. The powerful figure he had crossed had killed Ding Ye's master’s family, and Ding Ye had witnessed the atrocity. To silence him, this powerful individual had pursued Ding Ye all the way to the island.

When the story of the powerful individual's actions became public, he was eventually besieged and killed. After reaching the Blood Sea Abyssal Island, Ding Ye encountered Lin Feng, who had faced a similar fate. Together, they formed the Ding Feng Hall, naming it by combining elements from their own names.

The Wolf Fang Regiment, notorious for their piracy, had a dark history of plundering merchant ships and committing numerous atrocities. A century ago, they were stranded on the Blood Sea Abyssal Island.

Unable to continue drifting at sea, they established themselves on the island and quickly gained power. Their background as pirates allowed them to surpass the Ding Feng Hall, making them the second most powerful force, just below the Wild Lion Gate.

The three major forces each claimed a region, occupying ninety percent of resources in the Human Clan's region.

Liu Wuxie and Gu Yu entered the city after they declined the offer. Despite looking prosperous, the city looked quite tattered. Many buildings were in ruins due to constant battles.

"Big Brother Liu, someone is tailing us!" Gu Yu whispered to Liu Wuxie as they went deeper into the city.

"Let him follow!" Liu Wuxie had already noticed they were being followed. Since they were newcomers without any affiliations, it was expected that they would attract unwanted attention.

The three major forces marked and monopolized every building on the Blood Sea Abyssal Island. There were no inns, and people had to pay a hefty fee of spirit stones for a shabby house.

Wandering the streets wasn't a solution because there were no shops, inns, or taverns. This looked like a primitive city, and no one dared to do business there.

Any attempts at trade were swiftly thwarted by local cultivators who would rob the merchants overnight. Even the ten major sects avoided this place, recognizing it as too perilous.

Without Nascent Transformation Realm cultivators, the leaders of the three major forces were all in Astral River Realm's pinnacle and were practically invincible here.

Many disciples of the ten major sects had died here over the years, and they had even dispatched elders to take revenge, only to be killed.

Since then, the ten major sects had prohibited any disciples from coming to the Blood Sea Abyssal Island, making it a place for exiles. The disciples who committed heinous crimes were exiled here as punishment to fend for themselves.

After walking for roughly an hour, Liu Wuxie arrived at the entrance of Ding Feng Hall, intending to purchase a property and settle in. Wandering the streets was far too dangerous—essentially putting them at the mercy of anyone who wanted to take advantage.

They had gathered information and learned that a house on the Blood Sea Abyssal Island cost about 500,000 spirit stones. For the same amount, Liu Wuxie could buy a substantial estate in a major city near the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, but here, it would only get him a dilapidated shack.

Every inch of property was precious in the Blood Sea Abyssal Island, and one needed a place to stay to survive.